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Sen. Reid: Burn U.S. Olympic uniforms

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Story highlights

Ralph Lauren promises to address the issue of increasing U.S. manufacturing

The USOC says it is unable to make a change in time for London

Controversy erupted after it was revealed U.S. athletes will be wearing clothing made in China

Sen. Harry Reid says Team USA uniforms manufactured in China should be destroyed

The U.S. Olympic Committee said Friday that the uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be made in the United States.

The news came after it was revealed that American athletes at this year's games are going to be wearing clothing manufactured in China -- a fact that sparked outrage from some lawmakers and human rights activists.

Ralph Lauren and the USOC were bombarded on Facebook and Twitter by critics who demanded the fashion design company manufacture new uniforms in the United States.

"With athletes having already arrived in London, and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend, we are unfortunately not able to make a change for London," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement.

"We are absolutely committed, however, to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed. To that end, Ralph Lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture Team USA's apparel for Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games," he said.

"In the meantime, we ask for the American people's support. The members of Team USA have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment. They are some of the finest men and women this country has to offer and they are prepared to succeed both on and off the field of play in London. Our country should be proud of the individual athletes that will represent them in London and I'm hopeful that everyone will rally around Team USA," Blackmun said.

Ralph Lauren similarly released a statement Friday, confirming it would manufacture uniforms domestically for the 2014 games.

"For more than 45 years Ralph Lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of American quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country," it said, promising to "lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the United States."

Previously, the USOC had defended the uniforms. In a statement Thursday, USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said that "unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors." He described the criticism as nonsense in a tweet.

In testimony before Congress last year, the American Apparel and Footwear Association said that 98% of all apparel and 99% of all footwear sold in the United States are manufactured abroad.

According to the Labor Department, 10 years ago, there were more than 350,000 Americans employed by apparel manufacturers. Last month, that number was 147,300.

Dara Torres, a former American Olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years, said the uniforms looked great but would be even better if they were produced domestically.

"If they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says USA on it, painted by hand, then that's what they should wear."

Actress and human rights advocate Mia Farrow took to Twitter to call on the designer to explain its actions: "please will you tell us why the US Olympic uniforms are made in China? Why not made in the USA?"

Farrow, known for her advocacy on behalf of children, also called on the designer to heed Reid's call. "Burn them & start all over. How bout it?" she tweeted.

At least one current Olympic athlete also raised questions about the uniforms.

"Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China," tweeted distance runner Nick Symmonds, who represents the best hope for the United States to medal in the men's 800-meters since the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

The USOC is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships, with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend BP's sponsorship through the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

It was also questioned as early as the 2002 during the Winter Games in Salt Lake City about why American athletes donned berets made by Roots, a Canadian company.

Ralph Lauren has designed uniforms for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, and both times portions of the clothing were manufactured in China, according to previous CNN reports.

The revelations about the 2012 uniforms, first reported Wednesday night by ABC News, come at a critical time as the United States grapples with a struggling economy that has hit the American textile industry hard.

It also comes as House Democrats introduced a "Make It In America" jobs bill, which was first put forward in 2010 as a manufacturing jobs initiative.

New York-based fashion designer Nanette Lepore, who boasts a "Made In America" collection, said she was disturbed by the news that the uniforms were made in China.

"It's very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the United States in New York City or in any other city where there's factories that still exist," she told CNN.

"And it's frustrating for us because it's a cause we've been fighting for, and we've been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring. This would have been the perfect opportunity."

But free market advocates, such as the Cato Institute, say none of this is surprising.

Globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest, according to Daniel J. Ikenson of the Cato Institute.

"When companies are able to outsource, they are able to produce most competitively. They're able to attend to their costs. And if they can do that, then they can deliver better quality, greater variety at lower prices for U.S. consumers," Ikenson said.

The United States is not the only place where citizens have questioned the production of their Olympic uniforms.

Headlines were made in Australia this year when it was revealed that Australian uniforms for the Olympics also were made in China. The Australian Olympic Committee responded to critics by saying it was not financially viable to make the outfits at home, according to local media reports.

Some Canadian lawmakers became irate in 2008, when it was learned that Canadian uniforms for the Olympics in Beijing were made in China.

American companies have made Olympic uniforms in the past, notably, Reebok, Levi's and Champion.